On 1/16/2020 9:59 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jan 2020 19:37:53 -0700, rbowman
wrote:

On 01/16/2020 02:24 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
trader_4 writes:
On Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 12:52:53 PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
trader_4 writes:
On Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 11:20:54 AM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:


Don't confuse the amount of time that it takes to completely degrade
(which is 500 years for styrofoam) with the time it takes to start
leaching benzine and other chemicals which happens over the entire
time period it is buried.

That 500 years assumes UV from the sun is hitting it.=20
=20
Irrelevent. The material doesn't wait 500 years then suddenly
decompose completely. It decomposes over the entire period
releasing toxins the entire time.

Then ban those dangerous styrofoam beverage cups!

Surely disposing of them properly (e.g. recycling or
landfill[*]) is sufficient.

The point was that if they are toxic, they emit dangerous
substances, then why are we drinking hot beverages from them?

Well, I don't. I haven't even seen a styrofoam cup for years
now. a few minutes != 500 years, so I don't know why you even
ask. See also BPA.


https://www.amazon.com/Dart-20J16-Fo.../dp/B004NG8AAY

Somebody uses them... There are other problems. I worked for Sweetheart
Plastics in the '80s. They made a line of EPS disposable plates as well
as clamshell containers for McDonald's. They literally bought CFC's by
the railway tanker for the blowing agent.

I was long gone by the time the industry moved to HFC's. They were
better for ozone depletion but still had a high GWP. (global warming
potential). Now they're looking at hydrofluroolefins which have a very
short life in the atmosphere. They are more expensive of course.

Shipping was a problem that I don't believe was ever solved. Rather than
essentially moving air around the country, some way to create the foam
product at the point of use would be ideal.

They still sell a lot of foam plates, cups and bowls at the grocery
store and buyer's clubs so they are far from going away. Restaurants
still use the big white clamshells too.
I agree shipping must be a big part of the cost. Even nested tightly
together, you are still shipping a lot of air.

They got rid of the HFCs in the plates. The bead foam in cups and
packaging never had HFCs.

As for shipping, most of those products are class 300 or class 400 so
yes, it is expensive to move it. Many small regional manufacturing plants.